Wondering how you can get your foot in the door? Ask our experts in a live Q&A. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Ever wondered what life is like behind the sleek facades of the financial institutions in the Square Mile? Me too. Apart from some outdated assumptions based on movies portraying trading floors filled with people dressed in colourful jackets shouting at each other, I'll admit I know rather little.

Chances are then, if you've got your eye on entering the world of finance, you'll be more clued up than me about the wide variety of careers out there. Perhaps you've already completed a summer placement, or you've chatted to recruiters touring around campuses during the university milk round.

If you're in need of some help getting your foot in the door, there's plenty of advice out there from graduates who've secured an entry-level role in this competitive industry.

Over on our Careers Blog Michael Williams, who's on a graduate trainee scheme for a top 15 global investment bank, says: "Here's some good advice for when you first start. Take on as many projects or clients as you can afford to do well. If you can prove to those above that you're valuable, you can justify their decision for hiring you. Those without value don't last long."

A Guardian Money article also recently featured some encouraging words from retail banking graduate trainee Harry Cheetham. He said: "A lot of people could be put off a career in banking because they think they do not have the right degree, but you get so much support that it doesn't matter what your background is."

For more advice about breaking into banking and finance, and to gain insight into the roles you could consider, plus what'll help you stand out, join us for a live Q&A on Thursday 5 April between 1pm and 3pm.

Peter Matza is engagement director at the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT), a membership organisation representing treasurers and senior financial managers in the UK and globally. Peter has more than 25 years of treasury and banking experience and is a fellow of the ACT.

Jeremy Smith is head of UK benchmark examinations at Kaplan Financial, a provider of accountancy, tax and financial qualifications.

Sarah Ashley has worked in a wide range of roles at the Bank of England since joining as a graduate in 2002. She took sponsored study leave to complete a master's in economics in 2005 and worked on secondment at the New York Fed in 2008.

Neil Cox is current head of UK resourcing for Zurich Financial Services, and accountable for all permanent and temporary staffing including graduates and interns.

Marnie McAdams joined business and technology consultancy Capco in 2010, where she is responsible for developing, implementing and delivering on a hiring strategy that attracts the best talent in the market.

Nadim Choudhury is head of career services and employability at London School of Business & Finance (LSBF). He has more than nine years experience working with global business schools.

Sue Alcock has been a lecturer in accounting & finance for two years, and has responsibility for Nottingham Business School's new sponsored management & finance degree programme in conjunction with CIMA.

Claire Du Rose has been working for CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) for the past two years as student recruitment manager, where she looks after 28 universities as well as a handful of employers. Tony Fenech has been representing CIMA for the past 4 years, advising students on careers in finance and management accounting.

Joe Abrams is a senior analyst at Mercer, a provider of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Joe graduated with a BSc Hons in management studies and also gained an MSc in actuarial science.

Dr Rob Webb is course director of the banking and finance suite at GCU London. Rob's main areas of research are financial institution performance and applied economics, where he has published widely in international research journals, book chapters and acted as a consultant.

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